Prep football: Golden Gate holds on to upset Barron Collier

Quarterback Kenny Mouton and the Titans pulled off a 37-29 upset over the Cougars on Friday.

Barron Collier quarterback Justin Black (7) is stopped by Golden Gate's William Norelia (53) as he tries to run the ball in the third quarter of the Golden Gate-Barron Collier football game Friday, Sept. 23 at Barron Collier High School.

NAPLES - A 22-second span to start the fourth quarter at Barron Collier summed up Friday night for Golden Gate.

A big play by the defense followed by an even bigger play by quarterback Kenneth Mouton, and the Titans all but sealed a historic victory.

Thanks to a speedy, hard-hitting defense and outstanding play from Mouton in his first game of the season, Golden Gate beat the host Cougars, 37-29. The Titans forced four turnovers and three sacks, and Mouton threw for three touchdowns as the Titans beat their Collier County foe for the first time since the program began in 2004.

"I told my teammates we needed to step up," Mouton said. "This game matters a lot. We managed to come fight. This is a big game. This is a new rivalry right here."

None of Mouton's three touchdown passes were bigger than his last.

Trailing 31-13, Barron Collier was driving to start the fourth quarter. On the first play of the period, Cougars quarterback Justin Black hit a leaping tight end Mike Heuerman in the end zone. Before he could land, Heuerman was hit hard in the air and the ball popped loose. Golden Gate defensive back Derrick St. Clair came down with the interception.

On the next play, Mouton lofted a high-arching pass down the right sideline that 6-foot-3 receiver Frantz Dorvil outjumped his defender to grab. Dorvil then raced the rest of the way to the end zone. The play put Golden Gate up 37-13 and smothered the spirits and comeback hopes of Barron Collier.

Despite going down by three scores on the second play of the fourth quarter, Barron Collier came back to make the game interesting. The Cougars scored on a 40-yard fumble return with less than six minutes left, and the two-point conversion pulled them within 37-21.

Barron Collier quarterback Justin Black hit Bill Polin with a 4-yard scoring pass to cap a 96-yard, 13-play drive with 57 seconds to play. The ensuring two-point run made the score 37-29.

After recovering an onside kick, the Cougars had a fourth-and-15 from the Golden Gate 30-yard line with 20 seconds left. Black scrambled in the pocket before finding Heuerman on a completion that came up a yard short of the first down.

With Mouton in the pocket, Golden Gate pulled a 180-degree turnaround from the past two weeks. The Titans lost its last two games by a combined score of 83-16 as Mouton sat with a sprained ankle.

In his third year starting at Golden Gate, the 6-foot-2 quarterback showed no signs of rust or any lingering effects from the injury. Mouton completed 19 of 31 passes for 353 yards and three second-half touchdowns. He also ran for another score.

"With Kenny back, you can see how potent our offense can be," DiGrigoli said. "I give the kids credit for coming back after two devastating, lopsided back-to-back losses."

Friday's victory was three years in the making for Golden Gate. The Titans lost to Barron Collier the past two season by four points combined, including last season when they lost 14-13 after missing a two-point conversion in the final minutes.

The Cougars' first loss marked their worst offensive showing of the year. Barron Collier finished with 303 yards, but more than a third came on two desperation drives in the final minutes. Black was 16-for-37 passing for 202 yards and three interceptions.